


Darkest Before the Dawn

by NamelesslyNightlock



Category: Iron Man (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies), Thor (Movies)
Genre: Angst with a Happy Ending, Attraction, Developing Relationship, Falling In Love, Families of Choice, Fluff, Fluffy Ending, Getting Together, Getting to Know Each Other, Implied/Referenced Sex, Insecurity, Loki & Tony Stark Friendship, Loki (Marvel) Feels, Loki (Marvel) Needs a Hug, M/M, Miscommunication, Misunderstandings, Mutual Pining, Not Actually Unrequited Love, Not Avengers: Infinity War Part 1 (Movie) Compliant, Past Relationship(s), Pining, Post-Thor: Ragnarok (2017), Tony Stark Feels, Tony Stark Needs a Hug
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-31
Updated: 2019-09-12
Packaged: 2020-10-03 23:40:49
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 12,500
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20461436
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/NamelesslyNightlock/pseuds/NamelesslyNightlock
Summary: When Tony is asked to go to New Asgard to help them build an arc reactor, he’s pretty sure it’s just Loki being an asshole– and he’sentirelysure that it’s going to be a complete disaster.





	1. Nightfall

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Rouko](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Rouko/gifts).

> For Rouko ❤︎ this is your Exchange gift! You asked for Tony helping Loki build an arc reactor in New Asgard, with pining and a certain decision at the end– and I hope that you like this!

When Tony stepped out of the plane and realised he was in New Asgard, he almost turned back around and left right then and there.

It might seem a little ridiculous, to have been on an eight-hour flight and not even know where it was that he was going, but he’d slept through most of it so he didn’t even realise how long it had been. FRIDAY had simply told him that morning that he was needed at the airport, so off he went, expecting a weekend trip to LA perhaps– or Japan at the most. But _New Asgard?_

It wasn’t that Tony hated the place, there were just… certain people there that he would rather avoid.

One person in particular.

Okay, you know what? Fuck it. Tony was definitely getting back on that plane and going back home.

Or he _would_ have, except…. well. Over the past couple of years, Tony had grown rather used to dealing with people who possessed all kinds of incredible powers, but– he had yet to find one who could quite match Pepper. It wasn’t just the metaphorical fire that she could spit from her eyes (which, of course, had once upon a time been not so metaphorical and if Tony hadn’t known her before it had happened he would swear there was still some of the Extremis left in her system), and nor was it the way that she could make a whole room go silent just by walking into it. Sometimes, Tony swore that Pepper was psychic– a point only proven by the way that his phone rang the very moment he stepped back into the plane.

“Tony.”

“Hey, Pep,” Tony said, gesturing to the pilot to begin doing whatever it was pilots needed to do to get a plane back up in the air. “How are you this fine evening? Or afternoon, I guess. How many hours ahead am I right now? I didn’t exactly have time to prepare—”

“Tony, you can’t back out of this,” Pepper cut in with no attempt at sugar-coating. “The contract is too important, too public—”

“So why did you have to send _me?”_ Tony whined.

“Had you read my messages, you would know that they want an arc reactor to power their city. They do not wish to be reliant on Norway for power—”

“There are other engineers who worked on the reactor in the tower. I didn’t build that myself, I just did the designs. You _know_ that. So why couldn’t you just have sent one of them?”

“Because you were asked for specifically,” Pepper replied.

Tony sighed. “I knew I shouldn’t have introduced Thor to PopTarts. Now he keeps inviting me to things in ‘thanks’—”

“It wasn’t Thor who invited you.”

Tony groaned aloud at that, putting his head in his hands. “Of course it wasn’t,” he muttered. “No way things could just be that easy.”

“You’re going to have to face him at some point, Tony,” Pepper said, and Tony could _hear_ the smugness in her tone. She was enjoying this far too much.

“Sadist,” Tony muttered. “I knew I never should have told you about that.”

“You’re right, you shouldn’t have,” Pepper replied. “But whether I know or not doesn’t make a difference. You still have to do this.”

Tony groaned again, not able to help it. “I don’t know if I can do this, Pep,” he said.

“Why not?” Pepper asked. “You’re not scared of him, are you?”

“Of course not,” Tony snapped. “Why would I be?”

“Then I’m sure you’ll be fine. You’re able to work with me, aren’t you?”

Yeah, of course he was– but that was _different_. Pepper was Pepper, and they had worked out pretty easily that they would be better off as friends. Tony didn’t think he would have any idea how to act around Loki. He didn’t know what Loki was going to expect, and he didn’t… god. He hadn’t felt this lost about a person since he was a teenager. It was _embarrassing._

But, he’d learned his lesson about spilling out his heart on this particular subject.

“It’s different,” he said simply.

“You’ve faced worse,” Pepper retorted.

To be honest, Tony wasn’t entirely sure that he _had_ faced worse, but he did know Pepper had a point, and that no amount of arguing was going to change that. If New Asgard wanted an arc reactor, then it would put SI in a very good light in the public sector, as well as with their shareholders. For starters, it would be a worked example of the arc reactor’s efficiency. It would also give SI the image of having such good technology that even those used to living somewhere far more advanced would _choose_ to contract them for it. It would bring in more contracts, far more than what they had now.

Tony _couldn’t_ back out of this– and he was willing to bet that Loki would have known that when he came up with his plan. Asshole. He was probably just doing this to cause Tony grief.

If, of course, he was thinking of Tony at all and hadn’t actually just asked for the best of the best out of a sense of superiority, arrogance, and self-importance.

Would it be better or worse, if rather than actively trying to annoy him, Loki didn’t care at _all?_

Tony tried not to think on it as he bid Pepper goodbye and grudgingly got back out of the plane once more. Instead, he thought about what he might find– he’d seen pictures and heard reports, but this was going to be his first visit to the place that the Asgardian refugees now called home.

New Asgard was, for all intents and purposes, a small fishing town. They had thrown up some quick structures along the water’s edge when they had arrived, and had begun to work the surrounding land as best they could. Tony supposed they were lucky, as horrible as that thought was, that most of the Asgardians who had survived Hela were of the lower, working class, and therefore actually knew enough to be able to get the place up and running.

Thor was the king, though from what Tony had been able to gather Loki was the one who made most of the decisions. After all, Loki had several years’ experience acting as king, even if no one had known it was him at the time.

Thor was learning though, and it was he who gave speeches when necessary. Tony had watched them on the TV, his gaze always straying to the figure who stood at Thor’s right hand, his expression dark even when the corner of his mouth turned up into a smirk.

Jesus, he couldn’t even focus for half a second, could he? It was pathetic.

Forcing himself to focus once more, Tony’s eyes darted around the small airstrip. The only thing waiting for him was a car– and Bruce.

Loki hadn’t even come to greet him. Well, how _rude_.

Ah, well. Tony’s grin stretched wide across his lips as he ran toward his friend, since he hadn’t seen Bruce in person in weeks. He had arrived with the Asgardians, having spent _years_ lost on a planet called Sakaar, and hadn’t wanted to integrate back into normal society when he had managed to find a group of people who actually accepted him– and, to be honest, Tony could hardly blame him for that.

Still, Tony had missed him, and he yelled happily as he drew Bruce in for a hug.

“Brucie! Oh, it’s good to see you,” Tony said, holding him tight for a moment before letting him go.

“It’s good to see you too, Tony,” Bruce said. “Although, I’m afraid I’m not staying long.”

“Why not?” Tony asked, frowning. “What do you mean?”

“Thor is sending me to the Norwegian parliament to ask about trade with them, and with other countries,” Bruce said. “He wants New Asgard to start getting some revenue.”

“You?” Tony asked, surprised.

“Well, I am the only human who lives here, no matter how different from a _normal_ human I am,” Bruce muttered. “Loki thinks that me being there will help smooth things over. Heimdall is going to come with me, I’ll be fine.” 

“But that could take weeks,” Tony whined. “Are you saying that the one time I’m here for science you’re not even going to stick around for a single day?”

“I’m sorry, Tony,” Bruce said with a shrug. “We’ll just have to catch up another time, I suppose.”

“I see how it is,” Tony sighed. “The moment I get here you run away.”

Bruce rolled his eyes good-naturedly, and then gestured for Tony to get in the car.

Despite being happy to see his friend and enjoying the conversation, Tony couldn’t help but feel a little put out.

It wouldn’t have been so bad in New Asgard, if Bruce was there as well. Tony wished he’d been able to bring Happy, or Rhodey. But, no. It looked like he was going to have only Thor for company.

_Hopefully_.

Bruce took Tony to a small building right by the water, on the edge of the main town. Tony supposed that was probably because the Asgardians didn’t want a human in their midst, but he didn’t care. It had been a long day, and he was more than happy to see any place where he would be able to rest.

The building wasn’t much– it was clearly one of the first things which had gone up in the area, one of the small wooden cabins that had been replaced by stone structures. The door felt almost electric when Tony pushed it open, like it was alive or something– but the inside of the cabin wasn’t anything special. It was kind of like something out of a movie about colonial America. Wooden furniture, wooden walls, stone fireplace.

And, of course.

There was no electricity.

Tony threw himself down on the bed, landing face first against the furs that lined it.

Dear god. No electricity, no _internet_.

Tony was going to die here, he knew it.

—⎊—

Tony was woken early the next morning by someone banging on his door and yelling at him about how they did not even want to be there, that it _was not their job_ to be chasing after mortals before the sun had even properly risen.

A glance at Tony’s phone – which, thankfully, had a custom battery that would last several weeks even with all the trauma Tony put it through – told him that it was almost 9am, so he supposed that whoever was acting as his alarm had a similar opinion on mornings as he did.

Still, as much as he didn’t _want_ to get up, and the fact that he didn’t really care about first impressions, considering– he also knew it would be the best for his jetlag. So, with a groan, he pulled himself from the comfort of his bed and yanked open the door.

His visitor was a woman Tony had never seen in person, though he recognised her from some of Thor’s televised speeches. She had dark skin and long hair pulled into a high ponytail, the sides of her head decorated with intricate braids– and her eyes looked just as likely to spit fire as Pepper’s ever did.

“Who are you?” Tony asked.

“Everyone here just calls me Valkyrie, since I’m the last one left,” the woman growled. “_You_ can call me whatever the hell you want, so long as you get yourself out here in the next thirty seconds.”

“And if I don’t?” Tony asked.

“Then I’m afraid Loki’s going to have to a find a new mortal to build his engine,” she replied.

“It’s not an engine,” Tony corrected. “It’s a reactor—”

“Whatever it is, it’s keeping me from plenty of better things,” Valkyrie snapped. “Get a move on, will you?”

Tony muttered under his breath, but did as he was told– though it certainly took him a little longer than thirty seconds to brush his teeth, touch up his beard, and get changed into one of the best suits he’d brought with him.

It was a business meeting with a member of a royal family, after all. Right? Tony had to look his best. It was only proper.

Valkyrie was tapping her foot when he finally stepped back out of the cabin, looking entirely unimpressed.

“You took your time,” she said.

“If I’d known what time I was meant to wake up, I’d have been ready,” Tony pointed out. And yeah, okay, so maybe a normal person would’ve been up by now but _hey_, anyone who knew him should have known he’d need the warning.

Then again… usually, FRIDAY sorted the warnings out for him, and FRIDAY wasn’t here.

During the walk through the town, Tony fiddled with his phone, making sure that FRIDAY would be able to get into it whenever she wanted, even without Tony’s prompting. Tony was able to connect to the right network thanks to the SI satellite, but that would only last as long as his battery. Ugh.

At least he would have FRIDAY for a bit. Perhaps he could find some kind of generator in the meantime– surely, there had to be _something_ in New Asgard. Somewhere.

“Do all mortals spend time on their communicators rather than engaging in polite conversation?” Valkyrie asked haughtily, causing Tony to glance up.

“I didn’t think you _wanted_ to talk to me,” Tony pointed out. “And besides, it’s called a phone. I know you know that, you’ve been on Earth long enough.”

“With hardly any outside contact,” Valkyrie corrected. “Oh yes, it’s been _fun_. I traded a life of doing what I wanted to be stuck in a tiny town with the people I wanted to avoid.”

“Then I guess we’re both in the same situation,” Tony said. “I think we’re going to get along fine.”

Valkyrie scoffed, but Tony could only grin. He liked her already.

Valkyrie took him to the largest building in the centre of the town. Most of the space inside was taken up by a hall, and there was a long table at the head of it. A crowd of people surrounded the table, all arguing over something or other– but Tony’s gaze was drawn to where Loki was standing off to the side, leaning against a wall and watching the proceedings with an expression that was somewhere halfway between dry amusement and impatience.

But the moment that green gaze flicked up and met Tony’s, his lips curved into a smirk that made Tony’s mouth go dry.

Goddamn it.

“All of you, leave,” Loki said, pushing off the wall to step around the table.

The assembled Asgardians immediately began to protest. “But, my prince, we have not yet finished discussing the—”

“Did I say that you may stay until the end of the discussion?” Loki asked, his voice pleasant, but only all the more dangerous for it.

“No, my prince.”

“Then why are you still here?”

They all hurried out after that, some still rolling up their papers as they went, none seeming to want to be the last out.

The moment they were all gone, the false pleasantry left Loki’s gaze, replaced by something sharp but no less amicable.

“Anthony,” Loki said. “It is good to see you again.”

Tony narrowed his eyes, not buying it. “You’re doing this to torture me, aren’t you?”

Loki raised his brows, his expression a picture of perfect innocence. “Whatever do you mean?” he asked.

“_This,”_ Tony growled. “A wooden cabin? Paper notes? Not a screen in sight? It’s like I’m back in the Dark Ages—”

“Yes,” Loki cut in. “I do actually understand how difficult it can be to live without electricity. That _is_ why I called for you—”

“Called,” Tony muttered. “You can’t just summon me on a whim—”

“You’re here, are you not?” Loki asked. “So evidently, I can. Although, I assure you, this is not a simple whim.”

“Then what?”

“Did you not receive the information from Ms Potts? She doesn’t seem the type to be lax—”

“Oh, don’t you start with that,” Tony snapped. “You _know _what I’m talking about.”

“I don’t, but don’t be shy about sharing. I’m rather enjoying this,” Valkyrie cut in– and then she went up about ten notches in Tony’s estimation when she didn’t wilt under Loki’s hard glare.

“Why are you still here?” Loki asked.

“If I had to fetch this mortal for you like a common messenger, then I at least deserve some entertainment out of it—”

“Well, you’ve had it. Now go—”

“Where’s Thor?” Tony interrupted. “I’m thinking I should probably talk to him instead.”

Loki’s glare turned on him, then, but it wasn’t Loki who answered.

“He’s overseeing some building work,” Valkyrie said. “I might go and join him, actually, if you have no further need of me Loki—”

“Let me guess,” Loki said. “They’re working on fixing the still?”

“It’ll be good to have a proper supply of Asgardian mead,” Valkyrie said, her voice brighter than Tony had heard it yet. “And if your majesty is done with me—”

“By the Nine, just _go_,” Loki snapped, and Valkyrie raised her eyebrows at Tony in obvious amusement before finally leaving.

“She’s all right, actually,” Tony said, feeling a little put out– he didn’t _really_ want to be left alone with Loki. Unfortunately, it seemed that there was no helping that now. “So if Thor’s not here, then I guess it’s you I’m going to have to talk to?”

“I’ll be overseeing your work on the reactor,” Loki agreed.

“What? You don’t trust me?”

“It’s not about trust,” Loki replied. “I merely need to ensure that the reactor matches my specifications.”

“I don’t get why you need me at all,” Tony muttered, letting his gaze wander around the hall so he didn’t have to look at Loki. The carvings on the table were actually rather impressive. “You have a thunder god and the most powerful mage in the world. Surely between the two of you, you guys can work out a way to create a little electricity.”

“The most powerful, am I?” Loki asked, amused– and Tony had to look at him then. To glare. And maybe flash a grin.

“How do you know it was you I was talking about, huh?” Tony asked. “Maybe I meant… Bruce.”

“Of course,” Loki said, rolling his eyes. “My mistake.” He still looked much too smug for his own good, though, and Tony huffed.

“You could have had any number of engineers over here, more than one even, and had this finished in no time at all,” Tony said. “I can’t believe you’re going to make me do this by myself—”

“I only want the best,” Loki interrupted again.

“So I’m the best, huh?” Tony echoed, thinking it was his turn to be a little smug.

But then Loki only smiled. “Yes,” he said, his voice strangely soft. “You are.” Then he cleared his throat, and when he continued his voice was a little closer to its normal tone. “And you are sorely mistaken if you think that you will be working on it alone. We were just talking about that, were we not?”

“Watching and helping are two entirely different—”

“Oh, Anthony,” Loki said. “I am not merely planning to _watch_. I will be by your side for every step of the way.”

And… yep.

The longer Tony was in New Asgard, the surer he became that this was definitely going to end in complete and utter disaster.

—⎊—

As they walked back through the town, Tony couldn’t help but be rather amazed by what the Asgardians had already managed to accomplish. They had only been on Earth for three months, and already they had managed to throw up a settlement that actually looked pretty liveable.

There were people in the streets, a market down the main road. There were kids running everywhere, laughing and playing games like they were still high on the simple pleasures of living. It was actually quite beautiful, in a kind of way that Tony had never really appreciated before– but the lights that lined the streets were not electric. Some of the adults had a worn look about them, a sadness that would never truly be lifted. This place was beautiful, but for many, it still would not feel like their home– and he could see why Loki was so desperate to get an arc reactor up and running.

The town was at the bottom of a grassy hill which looked over the ocean– and it was inside the hill that Loki led him. There was an entrance cut into the foot of it, and it was immediately clear that the cavern wasn’t a natural one. The lines of it were too straight, the hallways carved through the stone not by picks and axes, but by something else entirely.

How long must it have taken for Loki to do this alone? Because it must have been him– New Asgard had petrol brought in from Norway for their cars, and they had borrowed machines to create their roads, but… even then, they hadn’t anything that could have done this so smoothly.

Tony wondered, for a moment, if that was why it had taken so long for New Asgard to start looking for a way to get their own electricity. Had they even tried anything else, or had this been Loki’s plan from the beginning?

When they reached the end of the tunnel, Loki pushed open two large wooden doors to show Tony the wide-open space beyond.

“The power source will go in here, where it is protected,” Loki said. “Will that work, do you think?”

“Yes,” Tony said, his eyes wide. “Yes, I think it will be perfect.”

The ceiling was high enough and the wide, circular shape of the room really would work perfectly. It would be protected from the elements in here, and far safer than it would be in one of the wooden cabins– and none of the other buildings in the town were yet large enough. The hill itself would also serve as protection for the town in the unlikely event that the reactor had a meltdown and exploded– but yes, that was _very_ unlikely. Unfortunately, the incident with the Iron Monger had spread the rumour that the reactor technology was unstable, but when one was not trying to purposefully overload it, then it was actually very stable indeed.

But, you know. The extra precaution wouldn’t hurt.

Still, Tony couldn’t help but wonder. A lot of work had gone into this place, and he understood what Loki had been talking about when he said he wanted it for the wards. But… they could have done something to have electricity in the meantime, couldn’t they? Then the reactor would not have been quite such a pressing issue, and when it came time to construct it, it would be much easier and far faster task.

Because if he and Loki were to build a reactor here with the limited resources at their disposal, then it was going to take a very long time.

It didn’t make a whole lot of sense, and Tony knew that Loki was more than capable of working this all out for himself. There had to be a reason– and Tony wanted to know what it was.

“Why an arc reactor?” Tony asked. “If you were hoping for clean energy, then there are plenty of other options– you’re right by the ocean, and you clearly have no problems digging through stone. You could have created some pretty effective water tunnels, and used turbines.”

“When we first met, you had one of those devices in your chest,” Loki replied easily. “It prevented me from taking over your mind.”

Tony swallowed, and had to resist the urge to rub at his chest. Loki, of course, noticed anyway.

“I don’t mean to upset you,” he said. “I merely wish to explain why I think that the energy from one of your reactors will be more beneficial to us than from another source. I believe that we will be able to use it to power wards around the town.”

“Wards?” Tony asked.

“Shields,” Loki explained. “To keep everyone safe. We had one around Asgard, but… it was not strong enough.”

Loki’s expression was downcast, something dark hiding in his eyes. Tony didn’t quite get it– from what he’d heard, no shield would have helped them to keep out Hela. But before Tony could even consider asking, Loki was speaking again.

“If you do this,” Loki said, his voice suddenly turning serious as he held Tony’s gaze. “If you help me create the reactor and the shield, then I will help you do the same.”

Tony’s eyes widened. “You mean…”

“I will show you how to create the wards,” Loki nodded. “To help protect your own home from further attack.”

It almost seemed too good to believe. Loki, infamous for his selfishness, was offering to use his magic to help Tony help others? To perhaps help him protect the world from the threat he had been worrying about ever since he’d seen the army of Chitauri through the portal above New York?

From the look of satisfaction on Loki’s face, it was clear that he thought he’d won.

And… maybe he was right.

“Okay, I’ll help you,” Tony said, acting like he had more of choice in the matter than he actually did– but, well. Tony was going to accept anyway– already _had, _in a way, by nature of the contract Loki had drawn up with SI. But… wait, Loki should have known that. And he was offering this anyway?

Why?

But hey, Tony was never one to look a gift horse in the mouth, though that didn’t mean that he wasn’t going to remain wary. It _would_ mean that he’d have to spend more time with Loki but…

Well, in the grand scheme of things, Tony could probably survive that, right?

Like Pepper said– he’d been through a hell of a lot worse.


	2. Hour After Midnight

The worst thing about Loki, Tony decided, is that he’s hot. No, wait– it’s that he’s hot, and he _knows it_.

Because there was no way Loki didn’t know what he was doing every time he brushed against Tony’s arm when he stood too close, or when his breath tickled Tony’s cheek as he leaned over his shoulder.

And yeah, look. Tony’s slept with a lot of people, and he’s not ashamed of that fact. It’s not unusual for him to see them again, given that many of them have been journalists following him around or people that he’d met at science conventions. He was used to that, and he was a pro at acting cool around them. After all, they were both consenting adults so– there was never anything _to_ be weird about.

But with Loki, it was just… different, okay?

Tony couldn’t even explain it. He’d tried to, that day with Pepper, but he hadn’t been able to put his thoughts and feelings into words and it all just came out as a garbled mess, and Pepper had _definitely_ got the wrong impression.

It shouldn’t even have been all that complicated.

The first time Tony had met Loki, Loki had tried to invade his planet and then thrown him out of a window. The second time, Loki was a refugee, standing at Thor’s side and asking for a safe haven for his people.

The UN had almost said no, but no one could really stop Norway when they offered some of their own land to Asgard– with a few stipulations, of course, but as far as Tony could tell they had all been easily enough to follow, and no Norwegian laws had been broken. (Not yet, anyway.) And Thor – or, more likely, Loki – was very good at making sure their taxes got paid on time. (Tony was strongly suspecting that the money used to pay those taxes was obtained through magical means, but since Loki wasn’t flooding the market with it, no one could really complain. They just had to hope Loki would stop doing it once New Asgard was properly on its feet.) So there hadn’t been any problems there.

But the point is that it had _initially_ taken a little while to arrange, and during that time, Loki and Thor had stayed in the Avengers Compound while their people remained up in orbit. And although Tony had not been part of the negotiations – no one wanted him anywhere near world politics – he had still been around, but after the whole incident with the Accords and the split, no one really wanted anything to do with him. And of course, they hadn’t really wanted anything to do with Loki either.

So they were both outsiders, and perhaps it had been natural that they had gravitated towards each other, had ended up spending so much time together. 

And Loki was… well. There was just something about him that drew Tony in like no one else had ever managed, not even Pepper. Back when he and Pep had been together, they had stepped into the relationship because it felt like the natural, safe thing to do, because it almost felt expected.

But Loki wasn’t safe, or expected– rather than the next step, Loki made Tony feel like he was constantly on the edge of taking a dive off a cliff, and Tony loved every minute of it. They had teased other with sharp words, bickering until their grins were wide enough to ache– until one had kissed the other, and they had fallen into bed. Loki’s room in the compound went unused, and for several days, Tony had almost remembered what it felt like to be happy.

Then the negotiations were settled, Loki moved to New Asgard, and– well, Tony hadn’t heard from him since.

Tony had tried to brush it off, figuring that a few days was _nothing_ to a god who had lived for over a thousand years. And yeah, so maybe the sex had been amazing, but it was still _only_ sex. They hadn’t shared words of affection other than the whispered pants of each other’s name, and they hadn’t acknowledged their… well, whatever it was, outside of the bedroom and the workshop.

Tony shouldn’t feel like there was something more between them, he _shouldn’t_ feel hurt by the fact that he hadn’t heard from Loki at all. Not even _once_.

And now, Tony had come to New Asgard, and Loki was pretending like none of it had even happened.

You know what? Who cares, right? He was Tony Stark, and he was here to bring electricity to an entire new country. It didn’t matter whether Loki cared about him or not.

So when Loki touched him the next time, Tony did not react in the slightest. He didn’t lean closer, nor did he lean away– he just pretended like Loki was a statue, and continued on as he was.

And maybe, if Tony had flirted with him like he had back in New York, or if he had just turned his head and brushed his lips over Loki’s skin, then _maybe_ they would have ended up the same as before.

But… Tony didn’t _want_ what they’d had before. It hadn’t been enough, and he wanted more than that– and if the choice came down to the pain he’d felt after their fling or just being Loki’s workmate, then he knew which option he would pick.

And maybe it would have worked, if Loki hadn’t changed the way he was acting.

Oh, Loki didn’t try to flirt, either– but nor did he try to keep his distance. His smiles which, if Tony let himself hope, bordered on suggestive began to cool down, and rather than placing himself as close to Tony as he could, he began to stand just an inch or so further away. Loki’s touch began to feel _friendly_ rather than weighted, and as they grew more comfortable with each other’s company over time, their conversation flowed easily without needing constant arguments to sustain it.

And before Tony knew it, he and Loki were spending time together even outside of their work, taking meals sat beside one another in the Hall and walking together in the market.

Once, Tony arrived in the reactor chamber to find he was the first there– which was unusual, since Loki usually rose far earlier than he. He just started on his work however, figuring that Loki must have been held back by one of his duties as prince– but when Loki walked in some ten minutes later, Tony learned it was something else entirely.

“I was just in the market,” Loki told him, and Tony turned away from the wires in front of him to meet Loki’s smile.

“Find anything good?”

“Yes, actually. A man who was a weapon smith on Asgard was selling some of his tools, no longer having need of them, and I thought… that you might find this rather interesting.” He held out his hand, and Tony realised that he was holding a roll of leather.

Tony took it from him, and at Loki’s nod he opened it up to find that it contained several tools slotted into the leather, all gleaming silver. They were mostly chisels, but there were also engraving tools, a small hammer, and some files.

“They can be used to work almost any metal,” Loki told him. “They are designed for use on Asgardian armour and weapons, after all.”

They were most likely for decorative work rather than for use on heavy plates, but hey. Tony’s armour was made up of smaller pieces, and it would definitely be fun to try them out on some alien metal, if he could get his hands on any. In the meantime, Tony was sure that they would be more efficient than the ordinary tools he had at his disposal currently. He couldn’t wait to try them out– well. If Loki let him have them, of course.

“What are you going to use them for?” Tony asked tentatively, realising that he’d just gone ahead and made an assumption—

“I bought them for you,” Loki said, his gaze amused, like he knew exactly what it was Tony was thinking.

But Tony just grinned, pleased he would get the chance to use them. “How much was it?” Tony was already reaching into his pocket– but before he could pull out any of the coins the Asgardians used, Loki was shaking his head.

“No,” he insisted. “It is a gift.”

Tony felt like he still should pay, since he was so used to having more than anyone else. But then, Loki was a prince, and Tony could tell that the gift was well meant. And not only that, it was _perfect_, something he knew he would use– and that wasn’t something he could say for many gifts he had received in the past. That brought to mind the thought of how carefully Loki must have picked this out, or at least that Loki had been thinking of him while in the market. And right then, Tony knew there was only one thing he could say.

“Thank you, Loki,” he said, holding the roll of leather tight in his hands. The two simple words didn’t feel like enough, but– then Loki smiled, and Tony thought that maybe they were.

“You are welcome, Anthony.”

So. Yeah.

They were together a lot, and it wasn’t long before all of New Asgard knew that they were the best of friends. That was both more than he’d ever had with Loki, and yet less at the same time. Tony loved it, but…

No matter how hard he tried to deny it, he never stopped wishing that they could become something a little bit _more_.

—⎊—

Progress on the project was slow.

The arc reactor itself was easy enough to design– Tony had made one before, of course. But in the past, he had only used them to power buildings. This was going to need to sustain an entire electrical grid for not only the town, but also the farms that extended beyond it as well. That alone was going to take time, as well as making sure that the reactor itself was both up to the task and would last long enough to make the investment worth it for the long-lived Aesir.

They started their mission by building smaller generators, not quite arc reactors but enough to power what they needed for the larger project. That allowed them to bring in not only the machines that they would need for building on the reactor, but also _FRIDAY_– and god, but the first time Tony heard her voice, he almost cried.

“Is that the sound of civilisation?” he asked with a bit of dramatic flair– and got a whack on his arm for good measure.

“It is a pleasure to speak with you again, FRIDAY,” Loki said.

“Mr Friggason.” FRIDAY’s voice was almost _frosty_.

Loki frowned, and Tony was quick to cover it. No need for Loki to find out that FRIDAY had talked him through a few drunken nights after Loki had left New York.

But FRIDAY made things move a lot more smoothly than before, and Loki slowly managed to get on her good side by offering compliments wherever he could, greeting her every morning, and… well, he treated her like she was a real person, rather than the robot most saw her as.

Once, Tony asked Loki why he bothered– and Loki looked at him like he’d asked why the sky was blue.

“She is your friend, is she not?” Loki asked. Tony’s eyes widened a little at that, and Loki was quick to add– “Not only that, but she is incredible in her own right, and very interesting to talk to. She knows so much, and has her own distinct personality. I would much prefer to have her friendship than her contempt.”

“I would like to be your friend as well, Mr Liesmith,” FRIDAY said, breaking into the conversation, her voice an impossible mix of flattered and unimpressed that no one else could have pulled off half so well. “Providing, of course, that you prove yourself deserving of it.”

Loki smirked. “Then I suppose I can only keep trying. I think it will be worth the challenge.”

Watching Loki interact with FRIDAY like that brought a smile to Tony’s face, and his voice was a little rough as he said, “God. You would have loved JARVIS.”

Loki turned to him curiously, and Tony shrugged.

“He would have given you a run for your money in a flyting contest.”

Loki smiled. “I’m sure he would have.”

After that, FRIDAY seemed a little warmer toward Loki, though it was clear that she hadn’t been kidding when she’d said that she was going to make him work for it. Still, it was fun to watch the two of them interact, and the first time they ganged up on Tony in an argument, he couldn’t even be mad.

FRIDAY’s presence certainly helped speed things along a little, but that didn’t mean they were going to be done any time soon. Despite making the time shorter than it would have been if they’d built the big reactor first and with their own bare hands, the generators themselves took up extra time– especially when Loki had the idea of wiring them into some of the buildings to make communications easier, which added on yet more time.

It meant that when Tony used his fully charged phone – thank you, generators – to call Pepper, his predicted timeline stretched a little longer than either of them wanted. Pepper was apologetic at that, and offered to negotiate with Loki to send someone else– because even though she was all for Tony trying to rekindle that long-lost flame, she was a good enough friend not to want him to be unhappy for _that_ _long_.

(He did, however, have to suffer through _many_ skype meetings to make up for all the ones he’d missed while he had been without internet.)

But despite everything… Tony actually wasn’t doing all that badly. Sure, he missed having access to all the technology anyone could ever want, but it _was_ nice to be away from the reminders of everything that had happened between him and his once-friends, nice to not be stuck seeing Steve and the others in every shadow of the compound. Here, in New Asgard, the people had very few expectations of him to begin with– and he had been able to start afresh. It was freeing in a way that he had never experienced before.

Of course, he did still miss being Iron Man on occasion, but the world had other heroes now and didn’t need him to be constantly watching. And his desire for the rush the armour brought him was easily fixed– after all, he had been working on creating a suit using nanotechnology just before he had left New York for New Asgard. He’d brought it with him and hidden it in his cabin, and it was a simple matter to retrieve it.

The first time Loki saw Tony press his new heart-shaped arc reactor to his chest and let the suit flow out over his body, Loki’s expression was completely stunned. Tony couldn’t help from grinning proudly at the sight of it.

“It’s beautiful,” Loki whispered, his voice barely an outward breath, so quiet that Tony wasn’t even sure he’d heard it.

“I think it’s too flashy,” Valkyrie said loudly.

“Says the woman who used to ride a Pegasus,” Tony pointed out. That only sparked further bickering, and by the time Tony looked back to Loki, that soft expression was gone without a trace– and Tony was sure that he must have imagined it.

Still, as Val pulled a face at them and left to find something better to do, Loki remained, still examining the suit. He took a step closer and reached out with his hand, his fingers hovering just over the metal as he traced the shape of it in the air, as if he were unsure whether he was allowed to touch it. Tony held still, preening under the attention. He _knew_ his work was gorgeous.

“The first time we met, you were able to call your suit to you with bracelets,” Loki said. “But this… this is—”

“Impressive?” Tony asked, folding the helmet away so he could flash a cocky smirk in Loki’s direction. “Incredible? Amazing? Awe-inspiring?”

Loki rolled his eyes, but the gleam in them as he ran his gaze over Tony’s suit again was amused– and he didn’t say anything to the contrary.

“It seems lighter, less bulky,” Loki said, his hand falling back to his side. “Is it as strong as the others?”

Tony grinned. “Stronger.”

“Oh?” Loki arched his brow– and then a line of green magic ran over his body, transforming his clothes into his own armour. “Shall we test that?”

Tony’s grin turned fierce, and he didn’t wait for Loki to issue any more of a challenge or to lay out any rules. His helmet slammed back into place as he charged forward, his feet leaving the ground and his repulsors at the ready.

Neither of them were the kind to fight with brute force– Loki hung back more than Tony did, waiting for an opening to strike more often than making the first move, but they both dodged and weaved more than they attacked head on. It was more like fighting Natasha than it was fighting Steve or Thor, and yet completely different all at once– especially when Loki started using his seiðr.

Between the two of them they attracted quite a crowd as they flashed around the town square, battling each other but by an unspoken agreement making sure they didn’t cause any damage to the square itself. Soon the crowds were cheering them on– and then Valkyrie and Thor joined in, and Tony and Loki didn’t even need to exchange a word before they teamed up to take the both of them out.

It was _fun_, fun like Tony hadn’t had in a long time. And when it was done – with Tony and Loki being declared the victors – the four of them all went to the Hall amongst raucous shouts, all of them patted on the back and brought drinks.

That, of course, was how designs for an arena became the next priority for New Asgard’s building team – an arena which would, of course, require plenty of electricity – and Tony’s predicted stay grew longer again.

Weeks turned into months, and Tony stopped counting how long it had been. The people stopped seeing him as an outsider, and he became just as accepted as Bruce.

He spent most days working with Loki, who had somehow managed to foist most of his princely duties onto Valkyrie for the duration of Tony’s stay, if her whining was to be believed. Other times, Tony hung out with his new friends– and when Bruce came back from the mission Thor had sent him on, Tony spent a lot of time with him as well, making up for what they had lost after the mess in Sokovia.

Bruce didn’t help with the arc reactor – electrical engineering was not his area of expertise, he said, though from the way his gaze shifted to Loki as he said it, Tony rather thought his motivations for declining lay elsewhere – but that didn’t stop him from joining them at mealtimes, or from giving them some ideas when they discussed what they were up to.

It almost felt like they were… well, maybe not a family, but certainly more of a team than the Avengers ever had been.

And Tony began to feel like maybe, he’d found somewhere that he belonged.

—⎊—

It was about six months after Tony had first arrived when he finally twisted in the last wire. It almost didn’t feel real– he had been working toward finishing this arc reactor for so long now, and finishing it had been his goal the whole time he had been in New Asgard. But instead of that rush he normally felt upon the completion of a project, Tony just felt… empty.

He supposed that usually he would be working on more than one project at a time, and that there would always be something else to take his attention the moment one was done. But now… he was _finished_, and there was nothing else to do.

“Is something wrong?” Loki asked, concerned.

Tony swallowed, then turned to face him. “It’s finished,” he said.

“Oh,” said Loki. He was quiet for a moment, as if he were thinking hard on something– and when his lips turned into a smile, it didn’t seem like it quite reached his eyes. “New Asgard will have power.”

“Yes,” Tony agreed. He held Loki’s gaze for a little while longer, something heavy passing between them.

They both knew, after all.

Now that the reactor was finished, there was suddenly no reason for Tony to stay.

Loki looked away and moved toward the door with a suddenness that almost gave Tony whiplash. “We should tell Thor,” he said. “Come on.”

Tony jumped up and had to hurry to follow, Loki’s long strides carrying him faster than Tony’s normal gait.

Despite the fact that this was what they had come to do, despite the fact that this should be a joyous occasion, Tony couldn’t help but feel a small pit of dread.

—⎊—

The streets were alive with movement, every person in New Asgard brimming with energy, excited for what was about to come. They had all waited a long time, long even by their standards– and they were ready to bring their country quite literally into the light.

The awkwardness that had lingered between them since they had finished the project had vanished, and they moved through the crowd side by side, the both of them wearing wide grins. There were so many people that they _had_ to walk close together, close enough that their arms brushed with every step. The people they passed greeted them warmly, knowing exactly who it was they had to thank for this.

The pair joined Thor and Valkyrie on a slightly raised wooden stage outside the Town Hall, which had been quickly thrown together for this very purpose. Thor’s voice was loud enough that even speaking over the whole population of New Asgard, he didn’t need a microphone– he just boomed over them all as he gave his speech. Thor didn’t bother with anything longwinded or pretty– he just told them all what was about to happen, and thanked Loki, Tony, and Stark Industries for the work they had done on the reactor and the electrical grid, as well as the build teams for putting in all the lights and other infrastructure needed.

But Tony wasn’t watching Thor.

Loki’s pale skin almost gleamed in the firelight, his green eyes flashing brightly. He looked so happy that this moment was finally here, so utterly delighted in a way that Tony hadn’t seen before, like all of… well, whatever had been plaguing him in the reactor chamber was gone. The night was perfectly clear, the air salty but fresh– and with torches their only current source of light, the stars were brighter in the sky than Tony had ever seen.

Then Thor gave the order for all of the torches to be doused, and the world fell into darkness—

But not for long.

Tony turned on the device he held in his hand, and tapped in the proper sequence. He could have asked FRIDAY to do this, to light up the city as soon as they were ready– but it was so much more _satisfying_ to hold the screen in his hand, to have an actual bright red button to push.

Tony stared at it for a second, just savouring the moment– and then he nearly jumped as one of Loki’s hands slid over his own. Loki was standing so very close, and Tony’s heart skipped a beat before beginning to hammer in his chest.

“Ready?” Loki asked.

Tony’s breath caught as he whispered, “Ready.”

Then together, they pressed the button on the screen—

And New Asgard began to glow.

All of the new lights that lined the streets lit up, and the electricity that had been wired into the Town Hall shone through the windows. The people cheered and laughed and began to _dance_ – and Tony didn’t see any of it.

He was too busy staring at Loki, and Loki was staring at him, their gazes locked and feeling like they were the only two in the world as the noise of the burgeoning celebration seemed to fade away.

Loki’s hand was still curled around his, and Tony’s mouth felt impossibly dry. His heart was still thundering in his ears, and he was suddenly very aware of just how close they were standing to each other.

“Anthony,” Loki whispered. “We did it.”

“We did,” Tony said, his lips curving into a smile– which widened when he noticed the way that Loki’s gaze flickered down at the movement. “Although, come on, it’s us. Did you have any doubts?”

“I suppose not,” Loki replied breathily. “We do make a good team.”

“Yeah,” Tony agreed. “We do.”

They were so close now that Tony could feel Loki’s cool breath dancing across his skin. Tony’s eyes fluttered closed as he leaned closer, his own breath catching, fingers trembling, lips parting—

“Now that we’re finished, are you going to return to New York?” Loki asked abruptly.

Tony blinked, feeling rather like he’d been doused with cold water. “Uh, I guess?” he said, completely thrown. “I mean, I was only here for the reactor, right?”

“I see,” Loki whispered, his voice unexpectedly icy– and then he leaned away, his gaze falling to the ground. “Yes, I… suppose you were.”

Tony frowned. “Are you okay?” he asked.

“Yes,” Loki replied. “Fine.”

Then, without any further explanation, Loki turned on his heel and walked away. And as he watched Loki’s back disappear amongst the happy crowd, Tony couldn’t help but feel like maybe… he’d missed something important.

The celebrations were loud and bright, but Tony felt something cold curl through his chest. And in that moment, the night felt even darker than it had when all the torches had gone out.


	3. Daybreak

The next morning, Tony didn’t want to get out of bed. He lay there amongst the furs he had long since grown used to, and stared up at the dark wooden ceiling which had become so familiar. He knew he could reach out to the side and flick a switch if he wished, and then the ceiling would be bathed in light– but while the thought should have brought him pride, it only left him with an empty feeling in his gut.

The reactor was finished, New Asgard had electricity.

The Aesir would be more than capable of putting in the rest of the wiring and systems themselves. They didn’t need Tony anymore.

He could go back home.

And that sat heavy in his chest, because… despite all expectations, he had actually _enjoyed_ his time here. Oh, he’d missed Pepper and Rhodey and Peter and the bots– but it had been rather _nice. _Still, there were a lot people waiting for him back in New York, weren’t there?

It was time to go.

Packing up his stuff felt like something out of a dream. Tony had been living in New Asgard for almost six months– a whole half-year of his life. The small cabin almost felt like _home_, and he would be sad to leave it.

He found himself lingering as he put things into his bags– needing more than one, as he realised that he had picked up a lot of stuff during his time in that cabin. He had trinkets from the market, and little things that he’d made. Books he’d ordered, both to stave off boredom and to help with his work on the reactor. Some of those he left– they were heavy, and New Asgard had more of a need of them than he did. There was a flask Valkyrie had given him for his birthday, as well as a ridiculous Iron Man mug Bruce somehow had shipped to New Asgard via Etsy.

And… there were the tools that Loki had given him, just because he thought Tony would like them.

Tony ran his hand over the case, smoothing the surface under his fingers before he unrolled the leather and looked at the tools inside. He picked each one up, feeling the shape of them against his fingertips, the cool metal familiar. He had used them most days since he had received them, and Tony knew he would not be able to use them back home without thinking of the man who had gifted them.

The thought sent a dull ache through him, as if there was just something missing, something that he would always feel the ache of unless he could reclaim what was lost.

It wasn’t just the cabin he didn’t want to leave, or the people who had accepted him. It wasn’t just the beautiful setting, or even the camaraderie he’d found with Thor and Bruce and Valkyrie.

Tony had come to New Asgard harbouring a physical attraction that had refused to fade, and an unrequited yearning for something he never thought he could have. He had been so sure that nothing would come of it that he had convinced himself it was _nothing_, that it would merely wither away in time.

But… it had only grown stronger, and worse than that—

During Tony’s stay in New Asgard, he and Loki had actually got to know each other, had actually become _friends_.

In trying to keep his distance from that_ physical_ attraction, Tony had only ended up falling further still– and he didn’t want to go back home if it meant he would lose what he had found with Loki.

When Loki had walked out of Tony’s life after the Asgardians were given New Asgard, Tony had been more messed up than even when he and Pepper had split– and he had only been with Loki then for a few days. Now, he had known Loki’s friendship every day for six months, and losing that would hurt so much more than it had the first time.

Even if it never became anything more, even _if_ friendship was all Loki wanted from him, then Tony would be able to live with that.

It would hurt, but it would be better than nothing at all.

His thoughts were interrupted by a knock at the door, and Tony carefully placed the tools into his bag before going to answer it. It was Thor, come to say goodbye before he had to head out for the day to perform his kingly duties.

“I see you’ve kept the place looking nice,” Thor said, stepping inside. “Loki will be pleased.”

Tony frowned as he closed the door. “What do you mean? Did he think I was going to destroy it or something?”

“Oh, no. In fact, I imagine he thought the exact opposite– he wouldn’t have suggested you stay here, otherwise. He seems fond of this place still, for some reason.” Thor wrinkled his nose as he looked over the wooden walls. “I doubt he would have moved out if the Thing had not insisted that he live in the new palace we are building.”

Thor was looking at Tony expectantly– and it was clear he was waiting to be asked about the palace. But… Tony’s mind was on something else entirely.

“Wait,” Tony said. “This was _Loki’s_ house?”

“Well, yes, until the palace was completed enough for us to live there instead,” Thor said. “It’s not going to be as big as the one in Asgard– well, it’s barely a hall, really, but there will certainly be enough space there for Loki and I.”

Thor continued on, about not wanting to spend too much time and effort on it due to the other priorities they had, but that it was important for a society to have such a place for social gatherings and such that was separate from the Hall the Thing congregated in, but which still held a connection to the ruling of New Asgard. Tony wasn’t really listening, to be honest– he turned back to the front door and trailed his hand over the smooth wood, feeling that same tingle as every other time he'd pushed it open.

And for the _first_ time, he finally realised what it meant. 

“Wards,” he breathed.

And as if the electricity had been switched on in his own mind, Tony could suddenly see things more clearly than before.

When he’d first moved in here, Tony had thought the cabin was on the edge of town because the Asgardians didn’t want a human in their midst. But now he realised that actually, it was on the edge of town because that was where _Loki_ had wanted to be, away from the bustling crowds. And Loki had put Tony in here, because…

Well. While the Asgardians accepted him among them now, they had been wary at first. Perhaps Loki had said for Tony to live here for a measure of protection, both due to the distance from the larger population as well as the presence of the wards?

It was the only logical explanation– because this place had been well cared for, and Tony had _heard_ Loki complain about living in the palace. Loki probably intended upon moving back in here the first moment Thor let him. Loki wouldn’t have let Tony live in the cabin without good reason.

And it did make complete sense, of course– because if something were to happen to Tony, Loki wouldn’t get his arc reactor. Loki had needed Tony to be all right to complete the project, so of course he protected him.

But despite that, there was something niggling at Tony’s mind, something that told him maybe that wasn’t the whole story. After all, Loki could have placed wards on any random building. There was no need to invite Tony to live in his own house.

No reason, perhaps, except…

“I think I need to go,” Tony whispered.

“Go?” Thor asked, apparently surprised– and it was only then that Tony realised he had interrupted him mid-sentence. “Where?”

“To find Loki,” Tony said, already reaching for a jacket. “Do you know where he is?”

“Maybe at the palace?” Thor said– though there was a glint in his eye that Tony might have tried to interpret, if he hadn’t been so focused on his revelation. “But, Tony, I am sure he will come to say goodbye before you get on your plane. You will be able to speak with him then—”

“No,” Tony said, throwing open the door– and _feeling_ those wards as he did so. “I need to speak with him_ now.” _

And as he left, it sounded like Thor might have been throwing encouragement, but once again Tony hardly heard it. He all but ran from the cabin, the door swinging on its hinges behind him.

He’d made a mistake, and he knew that if he didn’t fix it now before he went back home, he would forever regret it.

—⎊—

Tony did not even bother going to the palace– with everything that he had worked out, he could think of only one place Loki would be.

But when he reached the reactor chamber, he found it empty.

“FRIDAY?” he asked, refusing to let the disappointment get to him. “Do you know where he is?”

“He was here about an hour ago, Boss,” she said.

That wasn’t entirely helpful, but at least he knew that probably meant Loki hadn’t gone somewhere _too_ far away.

As Tony stepped out of the cavern and into the brisk morning air, he paused. And then, rather than walking back to the town to keep searching, he turned and made his way up to the top of the grassy hill.

In six months, Tony had yet to climb up here. He’d spent so much time under the hill, and he’d flown over it in the suit, but he hadn’t thought to make the trek to the top. He didn’t know if any of the others had, either, so it was a place that one might be able to go if they wanted to be alone. It also provided a perfect view of the town below– of the fruits of all of their hard work.

And sure enough, when Tony reached the summit he found Loki, staring out over the rooftops of the houses – now far more stone and tile rather than wooden – and the lights that wouldn’t have been possible without the both of them working together.

“Loki,” Tony said. Loki’s shoulders tensed, but he didn’t turn or otherwise acknowledge Tony’s presence. “Loki,” he tried again, stepping a little closer behind him, so they were only a yard or two away from each other. “What are you doing up here?”

“Thinking,” Loki said simply– and even from just that one word, his voice sounded hoarse, as if he were upset. “Observing, I suppose. The shield will cover the town, and the farms. The reactor is certainly strong enough to power it.”

“That’s good,” Tony replied awkwardly. “But, Loki—”

“I will keep my promise to you,” Loki said. “When you have need of me, send word, and I will come to help you use the reactor in your tower to create a shield as well.”

“Okay,” Tony said. “Thanks. But, that’s not why I’m here—”

“Isn’t it?” Loki asked, finally turning to catch Tony’s gaze– and his eyes were a little red and puffy, though his expression just looked _angry_. “I thought you were only here for the arc reactor, and nothing else?”

“Well, that’s why I came to New Asgard, yeah,” Tony said, feeling a little confused. “But it’s not why I’m here _now_, on this hill. I want to talk to you—”

“We’ve been _talking_ to each other for six months,” Loki muttered, glancing back over to the town.

Tony frowned. Loki was being evasive, something Tony wasn’t entirely unfamiliar with– but he was also all closed off, for the first time really since the start of the project. After the initial awkwardness they’d worked together so very well, and conversation had always come easy between them. But now… well. Tony got the impression that if he wanted to be heard then he just needed to go for it.

“Loki, I want to talk to about the fact that I want to be more than just your friend. And if you don’t want that, then that’s fine, but please, at least let me speak first?”

Loki’s expression was stony as he looked back around, but he didn’t try and stop him– so Tony drew in a deep breath.

“I didn’t want to be here at first, because I thought that it would be too hard, to look at you and know that you didn’t want me,” he explained. “But then when I got here, you acted like what happened between us in New York never happened at all—”

“And what did happen between us in New York, Anthony?” Loki asked, his tone hard. “What was there worth commenting on?”

“What happened?” Tony echoed, laughing incredulously. “Come on, you were _there_. You know what happened just as well as I do. And it was more than just fucking for me, okay, because– because it was _you_.”

“That’s hardly an explanation,” Loki said, his expression shuttered now.

“Just– stop trying to deny it! I know you wanted me back in New York, I know you wanted me just as much as I wanted you,” Tony insisted. “And, the moment I saw you here I wanted to kiss you again, and… look, what we had in New York wasn’t love, I know that, I’m not fooling myself. But it was _something_, the kind of thing that doesn’t just disappear into nothing at all like the flick of a switch. It just _doesn’t_. It didn’t for me, and… I don’t think it did for you, either, did it?”

Loki looked like he hadn’t even heard Tony’s question. His eyes were wide, though it didn’t seem they were actually seeing anything– it was as if Loki was completely lost in his thoughts. “Love?” he whispered, his voice quiet enough that Tony wasn’t sure he’d meant to say it aloud at all.

“I’m not saying that’s what this is now, either,” Tony started– but then he saw a tiny twitch at the corner of Loki’s expression, a flinch that no one else ever would have noticed. But Tony had spent months staring at Loki’s face, and even longer going over every detail in his mind’s eye– and he _knew_ that he had not imagined it. So, rather than stepping cautiously, Tony decided to take a leap. “But maybe,” he said, “Maybe it could be?”

Tony felt like he couldn’t breathe as he waited for Loki’s answer. He knew that it had been a gamble– they were both angry, both frustrated, both still trying to untangle whatever the hell it was between them. If Loki had shouted in response, Tony probably could have found his footing in the familiar ground of an argument– and if Loki was happy with Tony’s admission… well.

Apparently, however, that was too much to hope for—

Because rather than angry or pleased, Loki looked completely devastated.

“Why are you doing this?” Loki asked, his voice cracking. “Why do you _always_ do this?”

Always? What? This was the first time Tony had said anything like this to Loki’s face. It didn’t make any sense _at all—_

“I don’t know what you mean,” Tony said. “Loki, I’m putting everything on the line here—”

“No,” Loki interrupted firmly. “No, you’re not, you never felt anything for me. I spent those days with you in New York thinking that perhaps there was something between us, that maybe I had found someone who actually understood me, but I should have known that my feelings were not returned. _You_ were the one who felt nothing.”

“Oh, I felt something,” Tony shot back. “I was a fucking wreck after you left!”

“Yet you never tried to contact me,” Loki countered. “I could only deduce that you—”

“_You_ never tried to contact _me _either,” Tony snapped. “And since you’re the one who left—”

“To come to New Asgard,” Loki cut in. “It is not as if I had a choice in the matter—”

“You could have called, or something! You didn’t even try—”

“Didn’t try?” Loki asked– and a bitter, broken laugh tore from his lips. “I invited you here, didn’t I? I arranged for _you_ to come and spend time with me, and yet the moment you arrived, the first thing you did was complain. You didn’t want to be here, you said that spending time with me was _torture._”

His voice cracked on that last word, and– suddenly, Tony didn’t want to fight anymore. The tension bled from him as everything seemed to soften, and when he spoke, every word felt weighted on his tongue, and yet they flowed with the ease of truth.

“Oh, Loki. Spending time with you was only a torture because it was never quite enough,” he said. “Do you know what it is, to be standing right next to the person you care for most in the world, and not be able to touch them? To burn for them, to want to hold them close and make them smile– but have to settle for only scraps, for friendly words and smiles that never mean exactly what you want them to say?”

Loki’s expression was unreadable, and for a moment Tony was sure he was about to face a rejection he wouldn’t be able to bear—

But then Loki surged forward, and their lips crashed together in a stormy kiss. They kissed with the remnants of their anger at first, their mouths moving together harshly and with the desperation of having been denied what they wanted for far too long– but then, rather than falling to the ground and having their way with each other as they would have in the past, they leaned back out of it and caught each other’s gaze.

“Yes,” Loki said roughly, reaching up to cup Tony’s cheek. “Yes, I do know what that is.”

And when their lips came back together again, the desperation was replaced with something else entirely.

It was far from their first kiss, but it was the first where they both knew exactly what it meant. Their mouths slid together easily, as if the months in between had never passed– and yet this kiss was far sweeter than any they had shared before. Loki’s hand stroked Tony’s cheek with a gentleness that was new and perfect all at the same time, and Tony used his arms around Loki’s waist to draw him closer.

The kiss only broke because Tony needed air, and even then they lingered together.

“I don’t want you to go back to New York,” Loki said, his voice whispering over Tony’s skin as he pressed his face into the curve of Tony’s shoulder.

“Oh good,” Tony said softly. “Because I don’t want to go, either.”

Tony lost track of how long they stood there, just holding each other. He could hardly believe what had happened– only moments ago they had been shouting at each other, but now… Tony felt like he could fly.

And he was loath to break the moment, but—

“I mean, I know that I can’t stay here _forever_,” Tony said. “I do have responsibilities back in New York, but… maybe, you could come and visit me. Even when there isn’t any work to be done on wards.”

“I would like that,” Loki said. “But we can stay here a bit longer. You can stay in the cabin for as long as you want.”

Tony was touched by that, but he couldn’t help the quip. “You just like the idea of me in your bed,” he teased.

Loki didn’t bother denying it– he just smirked, and then leaned down to kiss Tony again before pulling back to catch his gaze, his fingers gently smoothing over both sides of Tony’s jaw.

“I mean every word,” Loki said firmly. “Anthony, if you want me by your side, then I shall not leave it. If you go to New York, then I shall go with you.”

Tony knew it wouldn’t be as simple as that– they both had responsibilities that needed to be seen to, on opposite sides of the world. But if they both wanted it enough, maybe they would be able to make it work. They could share their time between the Avengers’ compound and Loki’s cabin, they could have _homes_ in both New York and New Asgard. After all, Tony had proved that he could spend half the year in New Asgard with no ill effect.

But they had all the time in the world to work that out.

“Pepper’s going to be thrilled,” Tony said, not able to keep the smile off his face as he stroked his hands over Loki’s back. “I bet she was hoping for this all along.”

Loki glanced up, and met Tony’s gaze curiously. “You talked to her, about me?” he asked.

“When I told you I was a wreck after you left, I meant it,” Tony said firmly. “Why did you think FRIDAY was so mad at you?”

“I’m sorry,” Loki said, leaning down to press his lips to Tony’s forehead for a moment. “I wasn’t in the best shape either,” he admitted. “The others noticed. Thor was the one who suggested I invite you here, and it was Bruce who suggested the reactor,” Loki looked a little sheepish. “They made sure that we could spend time together uninterrupted.”

Tony smiled at that. “I’m sorry, too. But you know, if you had just asked, I would have kissed you that very first day.”

Loki smiled softly. “I would have kissed you as well, if I thought that you wanted me to.”

“Well, this is me,” Tony said, leaning in so their lips brushed as he spoke, “Letting you know that I want you to. You can kiss me whenever you want.”

“You might regret giving me such free rein,” Loki teased.

“Oh, I very much doubt that.”

And as Loki leaned in to kiss him again with the sea breeze blowing through their hair, overlooking the town that might one day become a home for them both– Tony felt happier than he had in a very long time.


End file.
